Signature · 6 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)

Vernon Parish, LA

Vernon Parish's signature pressure is desert tracts: 6 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 49.3% low-access.

49.3%
low-access pop.
6
food-desert tracts
14.6%
on SNAP
47K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 LA

USDA FARA access plate

County Vernon Parish, LA

LA-SEVERE · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-CLUSTER · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE

  • LA-SEVERE 49.3% low-access
  • ABOVE-NATIONAL +27.2 pts vs US
  • LILA-CLUSTER 6 food-desert tracts
  • SNAP-HEAVY 14.6% SNAP
  • VEH-OK 6.2% no vehicle
  • DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA

Nearest low-access peer: St. Charles Parish ( -2.1 pts)

Upper-band low-access

Vernon Parish sits in the upper national band (49.3%, #212 of 3,079) with 6 LILA tracts.

#212
national by low-access %
#4
in LA
10
low-access tracts
12K
food-desert residents

Upper-band counties often pair elevated low-access with clustered LILA tracts. Low access = >1 mile urban / >10 miles rural.

Signature read: 6 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .

How Vernon Parish compares nationally

Vernon Parish sits among the nation's most food-access-constrained counties: its 49.3% low-access share outpaces 93% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data, ranking #212 most-affected nationwide.

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Vernon Parish's elevated USDA tier split

12 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 6 LILA.

Food access tier distribution for Vernon Parish, LA USDA-defined food-access tiers: 2 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 4 limited, 6 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 2 tracts adequate (16.7%) 4 tracts limited (33.3%) 6 tracts severe / food desert (50.0%) Adequate 17% Limited 33% Severe 50% Food-access tier distribution: Vernon Parish, LA
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

By USDA urbanicity classification, Vernon Parish has 6 urban and 6 rural census tracts. The 1-mile (urban) vs 10-mile (rural) distance threshold above applies per tract, so a county's access rate reflects this mix.

Vernon Parish vs nearby high low-access peers

Poles + nearest peers in Louisiana, not a full county-board reprint

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

FARA 2019 · elevated low-access

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Vernon Parish
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)52,334
Low-Access Tracts10
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)6
Low-Access Population25,798
Low-Access Share49.3%well above the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population11,602

ACS 2024 · lower SNAP band

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Vernon Parish
IndicatorValue
Population47,117
Median Household Income$57,270
Poverty Rate19.0%above the national average
SNAP Households2,677
SNAP Participation Rate14.6%above the national average
Households Without a Vehicle6.2%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population3.2%

Thick SNAP store book in Vernon Parish

Vernon Parish has 34 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 6 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 18 locations (53% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 18

  • cvs pharmacy 10558, leesville
  • dollar general 10238, anacoco
  • dollar general 13922, hornbeck
  • dollar general 2054, leesville
  • dollar general 4032, leesville
  • dollar general 6459, leesville
  • dollartree 10282, leesville
  • dollar general 15954, leesville
  • dollar general 16728, pitkin
  • dollar general 17054, simpson
  • dollar general 19901, leesville
  • dollar general 22387, anacoco
  • dollar general 24139, leesville
  • dollar general 4162, rosepine
  • dollar tree 1464, leesville
  • family dollar 909, leesville
  • soileaus cajun specialty meats, rosepine
  • walgreens 10538, leesville

Convenience Store · 12

  • anacoco mercantile llc, anacoco
  • circle k 7748, leesville
  • d&j's grocery#1,llc, pitkin
  • fox stop, llc, leesville
  • murphy usa 7534, leesville
  • polk pit stop, leesville
  • shop a lotte 6, leesville
  • shoprite 50, leesville
  • shoprite 64, leesville
  • slagle mall, leesville
  • south end mobil, leesville
  • strother's country store, pitkin

Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1

  • duhon & son's meat processing, leesville

Military Commissary · 1

  • fort polk commissary 119, fort polk

Super Store · 1

  • walmart supercenter 405, leesville

Supermarket · 1

  • market basket 40, leesville

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).

Other Counties in Louisiana

One of 63 counties in Louisiana, 6 are shown here.

Compare Vernon Parish vs Acadia Parish → · All Louisiana counties →

Counties near Vernon Parish's elevated low-access or SNAP band

Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Vernon Parish, both outside Louisiana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.

Similar low-access share

Nearest low-access rates outside LA (49.3% here).

Similar SNAP participation

Nearest household SNAP rates outside LA (14.6% here).

Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.

Vernon Parish inside a higher low-access state context

Vernon Parish sits inside Louisiana (ringed). Each state is colored by population-weighted low-access; click any state to compare.

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Read with this county

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .

PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Vernon Parish, LA are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 22115. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.